Former priest jailed for abuse

A former priest was sentenced to two years in jail for the sexual abuse of a student 28 years ago, said reports in the Age and the ABC.

Michael Aulsebrook, 55, will serve nine months of his sentence. The remaining 15 months is suspended. He was in charge of year 7 and 8 students at Sunbury’s Salesian College at Rupertswood, Victoria in 1983 when he began sexually assaulting the male pupil, the Age said.

The Victorian County Court heard that the boy was confused about what Aulsebrook was doing and did not tell clergy until 2004, when he was involved in mediation with the church and received a payout.

Judge Tim Wood said Aulsebrook, now 55, was a brother of the Salesian order at the time of the offences and later became a priest. He said Aulsebrook had left the clergy at the time of the mediation and had worked in Canberra as a public servant. Judge Wood said he believed Aulsebrook’s remorse to be genuine.

Aulsebrook pleaded guilty to three charges of indecent assault. He will be a registered sex offender for life.

The ABC report said that the Church allowed Auselbrook to continue to teach, despite being aware he molested at least one young student.

The court heard Aulsebrook was a friend of his victim’s parents and continued to socialise with the family. He even attended the victim’s wedding and was ordained as a Catholic priest in 1997.